Wilson disease — the impact of hyperimmunity on disease activity: A case report

BACKGROUND: In Wilson disease lack of biliary copper excretion causes hepatocellular injury by accumulation of free toxic copper. Its overspill to serum accounts for neuronal damage as second common manifestation. Therapy with copper chelators or zinc targets the removal of this free copper. However, in some patients liver disease persists for unknown reason despite normalized free copper. The discovery of a hyperimmunity as a contributing pathogenetic factor was discovered in this case report with implication also for other liver diseases. CASE SUMMARY: hyperimmunity may have impact on liver inflammation after control of the metabolic disturbance. A retrospective cohort study confirmed the common association of elevated transaminases with ANA, but no IgG elevation. CONCLUSION: This hyperimmune-triggered condition may represent a new entity which per se or on top of other liver diseases induces liver inflammation responsive to steroids.